Eintracht newcomer
For the Dutchman Donny van de Beek, his commitment to Eintracht Frankfurt is a new beginning after three unsuccessful years at Manchester United. “I have the feeling that it is a good place for me,” said the 26-year-old midfielder on Wednesday when he was introduced to the Bundesliga club. “It’s a new chapter and a new challenge.”
Coach Dino Toppmöller particularly impressed him, said van de Beek: “The way he sees football. (…) For me, the way the club wanted to play was important.” And then he “followed his feeling” and came to a “big club”. He sees himself on the eight or ten – and less on the six: “I like to have my foot on the ball, I want to push into the penalty area and maybe score or prepare goals.”
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Eintracht has loaned him from the English record champions until the end of the season and then has an option to sign him permanently. According to “Sky” information, this is under 10 million euros plus bonuses, “The Athletic” reported a base fee of 11 million euros plus variables and “Sport Bild” reported 13 million euros as a total package. In Manchester, which paid 39 million euros to Ajax Amsterdam in 2020, van de Beek was never really one of the regular players; in the current season he only played two competitive games in England. His contract there is valid until 2025.
The move to Frankfurt is also linked to his hope of returning to the national team with a view to the European Championships in Germany this year. Van de Beek last played for the Netherlands in March 2021. “Everything is possible, but my focus is first on Eintracht Frankfurt,” he said. “Everyone wants to play in the national team. First of all, it’s important to play a lot of games.” He feels at least physically prepared for the first Bundesliga game on January 13th at RB Leipzig: “I’ve trained hard in Manchester over the last few months and I’m fit.”
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